Since the most recent NBC shakeup in the form of Fox anchor Megyn Kelly's entry to NBC, "Days of Our Lives" has been plagued with cancellation rumors. The network's longest-running daytime show will reportedly no longer be renewed after this year to make room for a new daytime talk show to be hosted by Kelly.
Just recently, "Days of Our Lives" celebrated its 51st anniversary. The series is currently one of the oldest scripted television shows in the world, airing Mondays thru Fridays since 1965. With the recent confirmation of Kelly's impending exit from Fox News, speculations are rife that this year will be the final year for the daytime drama.
A source close to "Days of Our Lives" recently told People that the executives of the beloved soap opera had already told the staff and cast members that this year might be the last for the show. The source revealed that since before, the series has been renewed on a year-to-year basis. However, its current contract only carries it through 2017.
While the reason for the rumored cancellation remains unknown, the source said the "Days of Our Lives" executives had already indicated to the staff and crew that their days are already numbered. "Basically, we've heard that there won't be a 'Days' in 2018," said the insider.
As for Kelly's transfer to NBC, the former Fox anchor will continue working at Fox until July before joining the news team of NBC, Cinemablend reported. While her transfer has already been confirmed, what she will end up doing at NBC remains a question.
NBC News chairman Andrew Lack has offered Kelly three potential roles, according to Entertainment Weekly. Her new gigs will reportedly include a chance to take part in the special political programming of the network, anchor a Sunday night news program, and host her own daytime talk show. Of the three, it is the last one that will directly affect the future of "Days of Our Lives."
Currently, the daytime series airs in the 1-2p.m. timeslot, which is considered the ideal timeslot for a potential daytime talk show. By television standards, the rumored cancellation of "Days of Our Lives" will not be an unprecedented move, as other major networks like ABC also has a history of cancelling long-running soaps to make way for daytime talk shows.
Watch the "Days of Our Lives" Jan. 6 episode recap here: